Four colours down, the more observant of you may be able to work out that there is one colour left. Today we take a look at all of the green cards in Dominaria, taking us through stories of old, pivotal character building and a couple of cheeky reprints.
Enough chit chat, it's time to jump right into the fray with...
Adventurous Impulse
Is this the attempt at fixing Attune With Aether? It costs the same so you’re going to want to drop it on turn one, it could find you a land or a creature so in a way could be slightly better than Attune although it only lets you look at three cards rather than your whole deck. Of course I’m being facetious, Adventurous Impulse could never be as good as Attune With Aether because it doesn’t find the exact land you want and mainly because it gives you no energy. Jokes aside, Impulse is alright you want it in the early game to smooth out your lands and can use it in the mid to late game to help find a creature. Adventurous Impulse probably won’t see any play outside of limited because it’s such a small amount of card selection and the effect isn’t that impactful, even though it’s only one mana it probably isn’t worth it.
Ancient Animus
Legendary creatures are going to be a dime a dozen in Dominaria limited which makes Ancient Animus kind of playable. It could turn out to be a good combat trick/removal spell but the issue with Ancient Animus is how restrictive it is: you may have a legendary creature in your deck but you also need to have it in play for Ancient Animus to have a legal target. If you can manipulate the game into a position where it’s a useful spell then all is well but I feel that you may be exhausting many resources in the process.
Arbor Armament
Great limited combat trick that can help those lesser fortunate creature decks that don’t have many reach or flying blockers. It’s cheap too!
Baloth Gorger
This could be charitably described as greens equivalent to Verix: both four mana 4/4’s, both have kicker 4, and when the kickers are paid you have get a similar amount of power for the payment. Baloth Gorger is obviously not as good as Verix as the four mana dragon produces two creatures, splitting your opponent’s focus somewhat where as it still only takes on removal spell to deal with Baloth Gorger. As just a four mana 4/4 you’re going to get a lot of use out of Baloth Gorger, granted mainly in combat but that's still something, and the further you get into the late game the more effective an eight mana 7/7 gets. It would be nice if it came with Trample but I guess a four mana 4/4 trampler could be a bit good but I digress. In limited Baloth Gorger is good, you’re going to play it pretty much every time for it’s efficiency and it will do work each time.
Broken Bond
What a weird card. Two mana for Rampant Growth but with specific criteria of destroying an artifact or enchantment. My brewing brain really wants to try and get all that I can out of Broken Bond: make a turn one enchantment to then Broken Bond it on turn two and get ahead of my opponent. Ultimately though, it’s not worth it. You’re better off waiting for your opponent to have a troublesome artifact or enchantment and using Broken Bond as sub-par mix of Naturalize and Rampant Growth. Probably another limited only card bu I would like to try it in constructed, I don’t think it will be to any avail though.
Corrosive Ooze
It’s a fine Bear that will punish your opponent for loading up too many equipment onto a single creature. Because of its relatively small size Corrosive Ooze will more than likely die quickly but it’s a decent creature with no draw back, it’s good in limited and that’s where it stays.
Elfhame Druid
Elfhame Druid is a slightly worse Bear but what it lacks in combat ability it more than makes up for in ramp ability. Adding green can help you get to those big bomb creatures in limited a little easier and the additional mana for Kicker spells will be invaluable in limited. Kicker tends to make the spell a little awkward or difficult to cast thanks to its mana requirements or just general cost so Elfhame Druid can alleviate some of that cost. I could definitely see the Druid making it’s way into constructed if Kicker is to become a bigger thing again but we shall see I guess. Elfhame Druid is a good limited creature for those aggressive decks and the more midrange decks alike, multiples aren’t too bad but maybe not more than two.
Fungal Plots
Love this card. Reusable creature production and a way to get your back into the game with additional card advantage, what’s not to like? Fungal Plots is cheap at two mana so you want have trouble landing it in the early game and then waiting for its pay off later on. Fungal Plots will play well in limited in a more creature focused deck to keep fueling it, multiples aren’t the best two have but there are worse things.
Gaea’s Blessing
Gaea’s Blessing hasn’t seen a constructed level printing since Time Spiral. It’s a really well designed card and even if you use it at its worst, a two mana draw a card, that’s about on par for what you would usually pay. However, getting three cards back from your graveyard is where you want to be, in limited it can take a long drawn out game where you may have been getting deck and put it in your favour. It could just be to get a big scary creature back from your graveyard and into your deck with the potential to draw it. One of the nicer utility plays with Gaea’s Blessing is its last effect when it gets milled. Being able to reshuffle your graveyard back into your deck is fantastic, it puts you as far ahead of your opponent by giving you all of your options back, not to mention Gaea’s Blessing shuffles itself back in as well. I think Gaea’s Blessing will see constructed play in some form, hopefully one that can abuse its milling effect well.
Gaea’s Protector
Four mana 4/2 must be blocked, great in limited but it will die. Saying that though, it can trade up nicely and if left alone is a five turn clock. Gaea’s Protector needs to be answered but as I said, thanks to its low toughness it probably won’t be around long. Great for aggressive limited decks.
Gift Of Growth
Two mana for a +2/+2 combat trick or four mana for a +4/+4 combat trick. Pretty straight forward, great in limited and may even see some fringe constructed play.
Grow From The Ashes
Rampant Growth should have always been three mana so Grow From The Ashes is fair at least, however it’s a lot slower. Being able to cherry pick whatever basic land you need is good in limited where your colours may be spread a little thinner and in the late game it turns into a five mana find two basics, keep in mind that those lands come into play untapped which is a nice upshot. It may not be the most appetizing card but it can do wonders for a limited deck, unfortunately I think it’s a little bit overcosted for constructed.
Grunn, The Lonely King
It’s sad to see a lonely ape. I don’t know what it is, maybe the human-like expression on their face but it’s hard to ignore. A six mana 5/5 is fine in limited, it’s not pushing any boundaries or anything but as a nine mana 10/10 suddenly you’ve got a big beast on your hands that your opponent needs to answer. There’s one other, little bit of text on Grunn, right at the bottom of the card. If you decide to go big in Grunn then his ability to double his power and toughness when attacking alone turns him into a 20/20 attacker, give him Trample and you have all but won the game. Even without the Kicker Grunn is still a hard creature to deal with in combat: attack alone with a 10/10 and your opponent has to either chump block it or throw almost everything they have at Grunn to stop him. Grunn, The Lonely King is a limited bomb and will do so much work it could start to feel unfair, especially if you power him out early. As for constructed, well he’s a big dumb creature with no immediate impact on the game so I don’t think he’ll be making any waves.
Kamahl’s Druidic Vow
This card reminds me of Genesis Wave from Scars Of Mirrodin, a huge green X spell that can provide you with a huge advantage depending on what’s on the top of your library. Kamahl’s Druidic Vow is a Legendary Sorcery so you do have to jump through the hoop of controlling a Legendary creature or planeswalker and its effects only cares about lands and Legendary permanents so it is a bit pigeon-holed. I like the idea of Kamahl’s Druidic Vow but I think it’s restriction means it’s only going to see limited play thanks to Dominaria’s mass of Legends.
Krosan Druid
This three mana 2/3 isn’t much to look at, it blocks well in the early game and may get some damage in if you’re lucky. In reality though, Krosan Druid is a late game creature. For eight mana you get the unassuming 2/3 but you also get 10 life to boot. Multiples in limited are fine as they don’t really have diminishing returns, in the right deck Krosan Druid can do real work by pulling you back into a game or putting you so far out of reach of your opponent. Probably only limited playable though.
Llanowar Elves
This could be one of my favourite cards of all time. I love elves, Llanowar Elves is cheap and it adds mana, that may not sound like a “favourite card ever” kind of card but I love the simplicity about it. It will easily see constructed play and is a brilliant utility creature in constructed.
Llanowar Sentry
This three mana elf is fairly aggressive as a 3/2 and comes with a lovely little mana fixing ability. For two mana you can smooth out your colours nicely, maybe for that one colour you splashed and didn’t find any lands for. I’m talking purely from a limited standpoint as Llanowar Sentry won’t see any constructed play, I wanted to try it in Legacy Elves but I think the three mana cost is just a bit too much.
Llanowar Scout
All three of these elves either help your ramp or fix your mana. Llanowar Scout is a decent two drop that can accelerate you ahead permanently by letting you drop a land into play, not just a basic land but any land. This could be really helpful if you have some utility or dual lands, allowing you to get ahead of your opponent and abuse any come into play effects at the end of your opponent’s turn for example. Llanowar Scout doubles up as a decent blocker in the early game so as far as limited goes you have a nice utility two drop here.
Mammoth Spider
I guess this is the new Giant Spider but instead of a four mana 2/4 with Reach you get a five mana 3/5 with Reach. It’s a nice trade up but the extra mana is slightly annoying. Anyway, you’re going to run it in limited because it’s a great blocker for the ground and the air and can turn offensive if needs be.
Marwyn, The Nurturer
Usually I like elves but I’m not a fan of this one. Marwyn doesn’t act as a lord and pump your other elves and is very fragile, relying on you playing other elves to make it worth while. The only saving grace is that Marwyn could give you a decent mana boost if you do get a few elves and at worst acts as an overcosted Llanowar Elves. In limited I don’t like the idea of Marwyn but there’s a shout for constructed, if you’re willing to devote a lot of slots to elves, at which point you should be playing a tribal elf deck.
The Mending Of Dominaria
A five mana Regrowth for creatures isn’t very good, you’re investing a lot of mana to mill two cards and get a creature back which isn’t really where you want to be at any time. In limited if where The Mending Of Dominaria shines because you can get your bomb creatures back late in the game but do be careful, played at the wrong time and this five mana Saga could do more damage to you than it does help you. I don’t think there’s an application for it in constructed because of the mana investment and the lack of immediate impact, you’re essentially Time Walking yourself to get a creature back and that’s not good.
Multani, Yavimaya’s Avatar
Multani has always had a land based effect, dictating its power and toughness. This iteration still includes that ability with how many you control but also includes the lands in your graveyard, so it has the potential to be quite big when you cast it for six mana. The Reach and Trample is nice but the recursion ability is what I want to focus on. At the cost of two mana, and returning those lands, you get to return Multani from your graveyard to your hand. You may not be able to cast him in the same turn and if you do he will be marginally smaller but having a recurring threat like this is invaluable in limited. The only way around this ability is exiling Multani and there are ways but in Dominaria limited Multani is a bomb creature that can take over a game easily.
Nature’s Spiral
It’s a two mana permanent Regrowth, brilliant in limited and may even have constructed applications. Nature’s Spiral isn’t too restricted either, it can bring back a big scary creature, a bomb planeswalker or maybe even a Saga to get extra mileage out of it.
Pierce The Sky
I love this in limited, it gives the green decks a nice cheap removal spell for those hard to deal with flyers. Because of its specific nature I wouldn’t run more than one because they can get clogged up in your hand but when the time comes Pierce The Sky will take down almost any flyer that can come your way.
Primordial Wurm
This is a big six mana 7/6 wurm. That’s it. You’ll play Primordial Wurm in limited at your top end but probably not in multiples and it is going to do work when it hits the battlefield.
Saproling Migration
Two mana for two 1/1’s isn’t bad, gives you a couple of creatures to get in with early in the game and a couple of chump blockers late in the game. If you’re late enough into the game though you can put an extra four mana into Saproling Migration for an additional two 1/1’s. Flooding the board with creatures can make life difficult for your opponent no matter how small they are. Saproling Migration is good in limited and multiples are fine as you can keep churning out chump blockers and let your bigger creatures do the heavy lifting.
Song Of Freyalise
I think there are some interesting things you can do with Song Of Freyalise: play it in a weenie deck and use the mana from your creatures to power out a huge bomb creature, use it to fix your mana or, plain and simple, just use it to get ahead in the game. Song Of Freyalise also leaves a lasting impression with a +1/+1 counter on all of your creatures when it hits its third chapter. The additional power and toughness could give you creatures the potential to block better or even get some damage through. It only costs two mana so it’s not going to be hard to cast and the advantage you can gain is pretty solid. Limited all star and constructed potential definitely.
Spore Swarm
Four mana for three power spread over three bodies at instant speed no less. Spore Swarm is deceptively good in limited, it can provide you with surprise blockers in response to an opponent attacking or give you the extra bodies to attack with at the end of their turn. At four mana I don’t think I would want multiples but if I didn’t have other options then I wouldn’t be too unhappy, and the single green in the mana cost seals it for me making it super easy to splash.
Sporecrown Thallid
It’s a Bear, nothing wrong with that. Sporecrown Thallid plays to the big Saproling and fungus theme in Dominaria by making them bigger which could be very useful. Drop Sporecrown Thallid on turn two or three and then on turn four you can cast Spore Swarm and end up with three 2/2’s which is great in the defensive and can be a beating on the offensive if your opponent isn’t expecting it. It’s limited only because it doesn’t really do much after than and is fairly fragile but in limited it could do some work with enough Saprolings and fungus.
Steel Leaf Paladin
This guy is a beating in limited especially if you drop him on then three. It involves a heavy commitment to green but it is worth it: a three mana 5/4 that can only be blocker by creatures with power three or more is going to be very hard for your opponent to deal with in limited. In constructed Steel Leaf Paladin has some potential but it would be most likely in a Mono green deck which means you are restricted a lot. I would like to try it out and see what I come up with but ultimately this guy is a beating and definitely playing him in limited, provides you’re in green, is the right decision.
Sylvan Awakening
This one took me a couple read throughs to completely understand the potential power. So, for three mana you get a bunch of 2/2’s (depending on how many lands you control) and they all have Reach, Indestructible and Haste. With a sorcery those keywords may seem a bit redundant but the may part of Sylvan Awakening is that it states “until your next turn”. So the creatures your lands become could be used for a big attack that may not end up in the most profitable blocks for your opponent thanks to the Indestructible or leave them back to hold off any potential attacks from your opponent. Either way your lands are going to hang around to tap for mana again. Sylvan Awakening could be an absolute beating in limited especially when your opponent is low on blockers and there could be some constructed application as it’s cheap and very effective.
Territorial Allosaurus
Bomb rate alert! Even without a text box Territorial Allosaurus is incredibly powerful as a four mana 5/5. Add the text box into the mix and that four mana 5/5 could turn into an eight mana removal spell, that’s late in the game but it’s still really useful and powerful. As a dinosaur Territorial Allosaurus keeps up the theme from Ixalan so any tribal decks in constructed could utilise it really well, casting it slightly earlier than turn four or even getting to cast the Kicker quicker. If you are anywhere near green in limited play Territorial Allosaurus, you won’t regret it.
Thorn Elemental
A bit scary late game creature that can do a lot of damage whether it’s blocked or not. Really good in limited and not so much in constructed.
Untamed Kavu
This could be the best Bear of the Set. Untamed Kavu gives you an early Vigilant, Trampling 2/2, throw some auras and equipment on it and you can have a really difficult creature for your opponent to deal with. In the mid game though Untamed Kavu turns into a five mana 5/5 with Vigilance and Trample and this is where things get good. It’s on curve, not colour intensive at all and good on the offence or defence, you’re going to love this guy in limited.
Verdant Force
I have really good memories of playing with Verdant Force, it’s a lot of mana but the board advantage is immense. Triple green shouldn’t be hard to come by by turn eight and even if it’s your only creature at that time, it probably won’t be alone for long. Verdant Force is a creature that your opponent needs to deal with or else it will take over the game and run the show. It’s only really playable in limited and it’s an absolute bomb there, if you are running Verdant Force in limited it’s probably best to have a ramp plan to almost cheat it out or a lot of removal to get you late enough into the game to cast Verdant Force.
Wild Onslaught
What a great limited combat trick. Instant speed +1/+1 counters for four mana is really good and could catch your opponent out some times, either after they’ve attacked and you suddenly have some trades or with a attack on your side that originally wouldn’t quite get there, Wild Onslaught could give you those extra points of damage. If you’re late enough into the game, or have enough mana earlier on, for an additional four mana you can double the productivity of Wild Onslaught making it’s effect really potent. It’s probably only going to play in limited because of the four mana cost but it’s going to be really good in limited as a combat trick on either side of combat.
Yavimaya Sapherd
Three mana for three power spread over two bodies. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before but it’s still a great limited card, the second body can chump or you can double up the two creatures and have a nice trade going on.
Is this the attempt at fixing Attune With Aether? It costs the same so you’re going to want to drop it on turn one, it could find you a land or a creature so in a way could be slightly better than Attune although it only lets you look at three cards rather than your whole deck. Of course I’m being facetious, Adventurous Impulse could never be as good as Attune With Aether because it doesn’t find the exact land you want and mainly because it gives you no energy. Jokes aside, Impulse is alright you want it in the early game to smooth out your lands and can use it in the mid to late game to help find a creature. Adventurous Impulse probably won’t see any play outside of limited because it’s such a small amount of card selection and the effect isn’t that impactful, even though it’s only one mana it probably isn’t worth it.
Ancient Animus
Legendary creatures are going to be a dime a dozen in Dominaria limited which makes Ancient Animus kind of playable. It could turn out to be a good combat trick/removal spell but the issue with Ancient Animus is how restrictive it is: you may have a legendary creature in your deck but you also need to have it in play for Ancient Animus to have a legal target. If you can manipulate the game into a position where it’s a useful spell then all is well but I feel that you may be exhausting many resources in the process.
Arbor Armament
Great limited combat trick that can help those lesser fortunate creature decks that don’t have many reach or flying blockers. It’s cheap too!
Baloth Gorger
This could be charitably described as greens equivalent to Verix: both four mana 4/4’s, both have kicker 4, and when the kickers are paid you have get a similar amount of power for the payment. Baloth Gorger is obviously not as good as Verix as the four mana dragon produces two creatures, splitting your opponent’s focus somewhat where as it still only takes on removal spell to deal with Baloth Gorger. As just a four mana 4/4 you’re going to get a lot of use out of Baloth Gorger, granted mainly in combat but that's still something, and the further you get into the late game the more effective an eight mana 7/7 gets. It would be nice if it came with Trample but I guess a four mana 4/4 trampler could be a bit good but I digress. In limited Baloth Gorger is good, you’re going to play it pretty much every time for it’s efficiency and it will do work each time.
Broken Bond
What a weird card. Two mana for Rampant Growth but with specific criteria of destroying an artifact or enchantment. My brewing brain really wants to try and get all that I can out of Broken Bond: make a turn one enchantment to then Broken Bond it on turn two and get ahead of my opponent. Ultimately though, it’s not worth it. You’re better off waiting for your opponent to have a troublesome artifact or enchantment and using Broken Bond as sub-par mix of Naturalize and Rampant Growth. Probably another limited only card bu I would like to try it in constructed, I don’t think it will be to any avail though.
Corrosive Ooze
It’s a fine Bear that will punish your opponent for loading up too many equipment onto a single creature. Because of its relatively small size Corrosive Ooze will more than likely die quickly but it’s a decent creature with no draw back, it’s good in limited and that’s where it stays.
Elfhame Druid
Elfhame Druid is a slightly worse Bear but what it lacks in combat ability it more than makes up for in ramp ability. Adding green can help you get to those big bomb creatures in limited a little easier and the additional mana for Kicker spells will be invaluable in limited. Kicker tends to make the spell a little awkward or difficult to cast thanks to its mana requirements or just general cost so Elfhame Druid can alleviate some of that cost. I could definitely see the Druid making it’s way into constructed if Kicker is to become a bigger thing again but we shall see I guess. Elfhame Druid is a good limited creature for those aggressive decks and the more midrange decks alike, multiples aren’t too bad but maybe not more than two.
Fungal Plots
Love this card. Reusable creature production and a way to get your back into the game with additional card advantage, what’s not to like? Fungal Plots is cheap at two mana so you want have trouble landing it in the early game and then waiting for its pay off later on. Fungal Plots will play well in limited in a more creature focused deck to keep fueling it, multiples aren’t the best two have but there are worse things.
Gaea’s Blessing
Gaea’s Blessing hasn’t seen a constructed level printing since Time Spiral. It’s a really well designed card and even if you use it at its worst, a two mana draw a card, that’s about on par for what you would usually pay. However, getting three cards back from your graveyard is where you want to be, in limited it can take a long drawn out game where you may have been getting deck and put it in your favour. It could just be to get a big scary creature back from your graveyard and into your deck with the potential to draw it. One of the nicer utility plays with Gaea’s Blessing is its last effect when it gets milled. Being able to reshuffle your graveyard back into your deck is fantastic, it puts you as far ahead of your opponent by giving you all of your options back, not to mention Gaea’s Blessing shuffles itself back in as well. I think Gaea’s Blessing will see constructed play in some form, hopefully one that can abuse its milling effect well.
Gaea’s Protector
Four mana 4/2 must be blocked, great in limited but it will die. Saying that though, it can trade up nicely and if left alone is a five turn clock. Gaea’s Protector needs to be answered but as I said, thanks to its low toughness it probably won’t be around long. Great for aggressive limited decks.
Gift Of Growth
Two mana for a +2/+2 combat trick or four mana for a +4/+4 combat trick. Pretty straight forward, great in limited and may even see some fringe constructed play.
Grow From The Ashes
Rampant Growth should have always been three mana so Grow From The Ashes is fair at least, however it’s a lot slower. Being able to cherry pick whatever basic land you need is good in limited where your colours may be spread a little thinner and in the late game it turns into a five mana find two basics, keep in mind that those lands come into play untapped which is a nice upshot. It may not be the most appetizing card but it can do wonders for a limited deck, unfortunately I think it’s a little bit overcosted for constructed.
Grunn, The Lonely King
It’s sad to see a lonely ape. I don’t know what it is, maybe the human-like expression on their face but it’s hard to ignore. A six mana 5/5 is fine in limited, it’s not pushing any boundaries or anything but as a nine mana 10/10 suddenly you’ve got a big beast on your hands that your opponent needs to answer. There’s one other, little bit of text on Grunn, right at the bottom of the card. If you decide to go big in Grunn then his ability to double his power and toughness when attacking alone turns him into a 20/20 attacker, give him Trample and you have all but won the game. Even without the Kicker Grunn is still a hard creature to deal with in combat: attack alone with a 10/10 and your opponent has to either chump block it or throw almost everything they have at Grunn to stop him. Grunn, The Lonely King is a limited bomb and will do so much work it could start to feel unfair, especially if you power him out early. As for constructed, well he’s a big dumb creature with no immediate impact on the game so I don’t think he’ll be making any waves.
Kamahl’s Druidic Vow
This card reminds me of Genesis Wave from Scars Of Mirrodin, a huge green X spell that can provide you with a huge advantage depending on what’s on the top of your library. Kamahl’s Druidic Vow is a Legendary Sorcery so you do have to jump through the hoop of controlling a Legendary creature or planeswalker and its effects only cares about lands and Legendary permanents so it is a bit pigeon-holed. I like the idea of Kamahl’s Druidic Vow but I think it’s restriction means it’s only going to see limited play thanks to Dominaria’s mass of Legends.
Krosan Druid
This three mana 2/3 isn’t much to look at, it blocks well in the early game and may get some damage in if you’re lucky. In reality though, Krosan Druid is a late game creature. For eight mana you get the unassuming 2/3 but you also get 10 life to boot. Multiples in limited are fine as they don’t really have diminishing returns, in the right deck Krosan Druid can do real work by pulling you back into a game or putting you so far out of reach of your opponent. Probably only limited playable though.
Llanowar Elves
This could be one of my favourite cards of all time. I love elves, Llanowar Elves is cheap and it adds mana, that may not sound like a “favourite card ever” kind of card but I love the simplicity about it. It will easily see constructed play and is a brilliant utility creature in constructed.
Llanowar Sentry
This three mana elf is fairly aggressive as a 3/2 and comes with a lovely little mana fixing ability. For two mana you can smooth out your colours nicely, maybe for that one colour you splashed and didn’t find any lands for. I’m talking purely from a limited standpoint as Llanowar Sentry won’t see any constructed play, I wanted to try it in Legacy Elves but I think the three mana cost is just a bit too much.
Llanowar Scout
All three of these elves either help your ramp or fix your mana. Llanowar Scout is a decent two drop that can accelerate you ahead permanently by letting you drop a land into play, not just a basic land but any land. This could be really helpful if you have some utility or dual lands, allowing you to get ahead of your opponent and abuse any come into play effects at the end of your opponent’s turn for example. Llanowar Scout doubles up as a decent blocker in the early game so as far as limited goes you have a nice utility two drop here.
Mammoth Spider
I guess this is the new Giant Spider but instead of a four mana 2/4 with Reach you get a five mana 3/5 with Reach. It’s a nice trade up but the extra mana is slightly annoying. Anyway, you’re going to run it in limited because it’s a great blocker for the ground and the air and can turn offensive if needs be.
Marwyn, The Nurturer
Usually I like elves but I’m not a fan of this one. Marwyn doesn’t act as a lord and pump your other elves and is very fragile, relying on you playing other elves to make it worth while. The only saving grace is that Marwyn could give you a decent mana boost if you do get a few elves and at worst acts as an overcosted Llanowar Elves. In limited I don’t like the idea of Marwyn but there’s a shout for constructed, if you’re willing to devote a lot of slots to elves, at which point you should be playing a tribal elf deck.
The Mending Of Dominaria
A five mana Regrowth for creatures isn’t very good, you’re investing a lot of mana to mill two cards and get a creature back which isn’t really where you want to be at any time. In limited if where The Mending Of Dominaria shines because you can get your bomb creatures back late in the game but do be careful, played at the wrong time and this five mana Saga could do more damage to you than it does help you. I don’t think there’s an application for it in constructed because of the mana investment and the lack of immediate impact, you’re essentially Time Walking yourself to get a creature back and that’s not good.
Multani, Yavimaya’s Avatar
Multani has always had a land based effect, dictating its power and toughness. This iteration still includes that ability with how many you control but also includes the lands in your graveyard, so it has the potential to be quite big when you cast it for six mana. The Reach and Trample is nice but the recursion ability is what I want to focus on. At the cost of two mana, and returning those lands, you get to return Multani from your graveyard to your hand. You may not be able to cast him in the same turn and if you do he will be marginally smaller but having a recurring threat like this is invaluable in limited. The only way around this ability is exiling Multani and there are ways but in Dominaria limited Multani is a bomb creature that can take over a game easily.
Nature’s Spiral
It’s a two mana permanent Regrowth, brilliant in limited and may even have constructed applications. Nature’s Spiral isn’t too restricted either, it can bring back a big scary creature, a bomb planeswalker or maybe even a Saga to get extra mileage out of it.
Pierce The Sky
I love this in limited, it gives the green decks a nice cheap removal spell for those hard to deal with flyers. Because of its specific nature I wouldn’t run more than one because they can get clogged up in your hand but when the time comes Pierce The Sky will take down almost any flyer that can come your way.
Primordial Wurm
This is a big six mana 7/6 wurm. That’s it. You’ll play Primordial Wurm in limited at your top end but probably not in multiples and it is going to do work when it hits the battlefield.
Saproling Migration
Two mana for two 1/1’s isn’t bad, gives you a couple of creatures to get in with early in the game and a couple of chump blockers late in the game. If you’re late enough into the game though you can put an extra four mana into Saproling Migration for an additional two 1/1’s. Flooding the board with creatures can make life difficult for your opponent no matter how small they are. Saproling Migration is good in limited and multiples are fine as you can keep churning out chump blockers and let your bigger creatures do the heavy lifting.
Song Of Freyalise
I think there are some interesting things you can do with Song Of Freyalise: play it in a weenie deck and use the mana from your creatures to power out a huge bomb creature, use it to fix your mana or, plain and simple, just use it to get ahead in the game. Song Of Freyalise also leaves a lasting impression with a +1/+1 counter on all of your creatures when it hits its third chapter. The additional power and toughness could give you creatures the potential to block better or even get some damage through. It only costs two mana so it’s not going to be hard to cast and the advantage you can gain is pretty solid. Limited all star and constructed potential definitely.
Spore Swarm
Four mana for three power spread over three bodies at instant speed no less. Spore Swarm is deceptively good in limited, it can provide you with surprise blockers in response to an opponent attacking or give you the extra bodies to attack with at the end of their turn. At four mana I don’t think I would want multiples but if I didn’t have other options then I wouldn’t be too unhappy, and the single green in the mana cost seals it for me making it super easy to splash.
Sporecrown Thallid
It’s a Bear, nothing wrong with that. Sporecrown Thallid plays to the big Saproling and fungus theme in Dominaria by making them bigger which could be very useful. Drop Sporecrown Thallid on turn two or three and then on turn four you can cast Spore Swarm and end up with three 2/2’s which is great in the defensive and can be a beating on the offensive if your opponent isn’t expecting it. It’s limited only because it doesn’t really do much after than and is fairly fragile but in limited it could do some work with enough Saprolings and fungus.
Steel Leaf Paladin
This guy is a beating in limited especially if you drop him on then three. It involves a heavy commitment to green but it is worth it: a three mana 5/4 that can only be blocker by creatures with power three or more is going to be very hard for your opponent to deal with in limited. In constructed Steel Leaf Paladin has some potential but it would be most likely in a Mono green deck which means you are restricted a lot. I would like to try it out and see what I come up with but ultimately this guy is a beating and definitely playing him in limited, provides you’re in green, is the right decision.
Sylvan Awakening
This one took me a couple read throughs to completely understand the potential power. So, for three mana you get a bunch of 2/2’s (depending on how many lands you control) and they all have Reach, Indestructible and Haste. With a sorcery those keywords may seem a bit redundant but the may part of Sylvan Awakening is that it states “until your next turn”. So the creatures your lands become could be used for a big attack that may not end up in the most profitable blocks for your opponent thanks to the Indestructible or leave them back to hold off any potential attacks from your opponent. Either way your lands are going to hang around to tap for mana again. Sylvan Awakening could be an absolute beating in limited especially when your opponent is low on blockers and there could be some constructed application as it’s cheap and very effective.
Territorial Allosaurus
Bomb rate alert! Even without a text box Territorial Allosaurus is incredibly powerful as a four mana 5/5. Add the text box into the mix and that four mana 5/5 could turn into an eight mana removal spell, that’s late in the game but it’s still really useful and powerful. As a dinosaur Territorial Allosaurus keeps up the theme from Ixalan so any tribal decks in constructed could utilise it really well, casting it slightly earlier than turn four or even getting to cast the Kicker quicker. If you are anywhere near green in limited play Territorial Allosaurus, you won’t regret it.
Thorn Elemental
A bit scary late game creature that can do a lot of damage whether it’s blocked or not. Really good in limited and not so much in constructed.
Untamed Kavu
This could be the best Bear of the Set. Untamed Kavu gives you an early Vigilant, Trampling 2/2, throw some auras and equipment on it and you can have a really difficult creature for your opponent to deal with. In the mid game though Untamed Kavu turns into a five mana 5/5 with Vigilance and Trample and this is where things get good. It’s on curve, not colour intensive at all and good on the offence or defence, you’re going to love this guy in limited.
Verdant Force
I have really good memories of playing with Verdant Force, it’s a lot of mana but the board advantage is immense. Triple green shouldn’t be hard to come by by turn eight and even if it’s your only creature at that time, it probably won’t be alone for long. Verdant Force is a creature that your opponent needs to deal with or else it will take over the game and run the show. It’s only really playable in limited and it’s an absolute bomb there, if you are running Verdant Force in limited it’s probably best to have a ramp plan to almost cheat it out or a lot of removal to get you late enough into the game to cast Verdant Force.
Wild Onslaught
What a great limited combat trick. Instant speed +1/+1 counters for four mana is really good and could catch your opponent out some times, either after they’ve attacked and you suddenly have some trades or with a attack on your side that originally wouldn’t quite get there, Wild Onslaught could give you those extra points of damage. If you’re late enough into the game, or have enough mana earlier on, for an additional four mana you can double the productivity of Wild Onslaught making it’s effect really potent. It’s probably only going to play in limited because of the four mana cost but it’s going to be really good in limited as a combat trick on either side of combat.
Yavimaya Sapherd
Three mana for three power spread over two bodies. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before but it’s still a great limited card, the second body can chump or you can double up the two creatures and have a nice trade going on.
It's almost the end of the week but fear not, tomorrow is the turn of all the multicoloured cards and even when all of the colours are said and done Sunday will bring all of the Artifacts with it.
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